Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Casserole bakes up bubbly and golden—layered, hearty, and perfect for potlucks, Sundays, and easy leftovers.
Golden Bacon-and-Cheddar Breakfast Bake
A make-ahead, crowd-pleasing casserole that turns day-old bread, crisp bacon, and a cheesy egg custard into bubbly, sliceable comfort.
This is the kind of breakfast that looks like effort but behaves like magic: you assemble it once, pop it in the oven, and come away with slices that are golden on top, custardy in the middle, and edged with crisped bread and cheese. It feeds a small crowd, travels well to potlucks, and rewarms into a perfect weekday lunch.
The trick is simple and forgiving. Day-old sandwich bread soaks up the egg-and-milk mixture without collapsing, while sharp cheddar melts into ribbons that give each bite a savory richness. Crisp bacon provides salty crunch, and a little Dijon folded into the custard brightens the whole thing so it never tastes cloying.
Reserve a spoonful of the bacon fat to soften the onion and bell pepper — that tiny bit of browned flavor makes the vegetables sing against the cheese — and finish with fresh chives for a hit of green oniony brightness. Assemble the night before for an easy morning bake, or make it ahead, slice it, and reheat portions through the week.
Serve it straight from the pan with a simple salad or a fruit bowl to cut the richness, or let guests help themselves buffet-style. Either way, this casserole solves the same problem every weekend: too much to do, not enough time to make breakfast worth singing about — until now.
Ingredients
How to Make Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 9x9-inch (or similar 2.5-3 quart) baking dish.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes; transfer to paper towels, reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan, then chop the bacon into bite-size pieces.
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4–5 minutes; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- While vegetables cool, whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until blended.
- Add the bread cubes, chopped bacon, cooked onion and pepper, and 1 3/4 cups of the shredded cheddar to the egg mixture; stir gently to combine and let sit 5–10 minutes so the bread absorbs the custard.
- Transfer the mixture into the buttered baking dish, press lightly so it’s evenly distributed, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar over the top.
- Bake uncovered until the center is set and the top is golden, 35–40 minutes; if baking straight from the refrigerator add 8–12 minutes to the bake time.
- Let the casserole rest 5–10 minutes before slicing; sprinkle with chopped chives and serve warm. The casserole can be made the night before, covered and refrigerated, then baked in the morning.
Recipe Card
Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Casserole
Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Casserole bakes up bubbly and golden—layered, hearty, and perfect for potlucks, Sundays, and easy leftovers.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 9x9-inch (or similar 2.5-3 quart) baking dish.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes; transfer to paper towels, reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan, then chop the bacon into bite-size pieces.
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4–5 minutes; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- While vegetables cool, whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until blended.
- Add the bread cubes, chopped bacon, cooked onion and pepper, and 1 3/4 cups of the shredded cheddar to the egg mixture; stir gently to combine and let sit 5–10 minutes so the bread absorbs the custard.
- Transfer the mixture into the buttered baking dish, press lightly so it’s evenly distributed, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar over the top.
- Bake uncovered until the center is set and the top is golden, 35–40 minutes; if baking straight from the refrigerator add 8–12 minutes to the bake time.
- Let the casserole rest 5–10 minutes before slicing; sprinkle with chopped chives and serve warm. The casserole can be made the night before, covered and refrigerated, then baked in the morning.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 28
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Sodium
- 1675
- Fiber
- 2
- Unsaturated Fat
- 27
- Protein
- 39
- Fat
- 42
- Cholesterol
- 450
- Trans Fat
- 0.3
- Calories
- 642
- Sugar
- 3